I don’t think anyone would disagree with the age-old adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know�?. It applies across our business and personal lives- the one who connects the best wins. Using a network of people to your advantage is as old as business itself- a strategy that hasn’t changed much over the years.
However, just recently, the networking landscape has changed significantly. The same principles of trust, communication and relationship building still apply, but the tools have changed. Internet-based resources such as online communities, weblogs, email lists, contact managers, etc. are enabling a new kind of networking- a new way to make and nurture the connections you value.
In the recent ebook “Making Your Business Click; Book 1: How to Value and Grow Your Network�? the authors provide (in my words) a clear and well thought out guide to online business networking for the average person. It describes how the Internet has changed business networking and how you can use the Web to develop an online presence that’s as authentic and as valuable as you are.
I think the book helps us overcome the bad reputation that online relationships garnered in the early years of the Web. Many of the initial experiences (including my own) in “talking�? to people online were bad experiences. The web was (and is) filled with anonymity, false pretense and hidden agendas. It was historically harder to develop real relationships and feel that you could trust someone online.
I believe we’re seeing a change in this reputation and the book helps the reader see how to establish trust and maintain online relationships that are honest and productive. If you’re curious about the best ways to use the web to network, I’d check it out. David, Donna and Scott did a great job.